Soundless Voice
by KagamineLen'sWife2015
Summary: Ashley meets Rin Kagamine, the new girl at her school. But when she meets Rin's twin brother Len, he tells her that she's dead. And he's depressed about her death. What can Ashley and her friends do to help him overcome it?
1. Chapter 1

It was the day after Christmas break. Ashley Cox was getting ready for school. She had to get out of bed, shower, eat breakfast, say goodbye to the parents, and walk with her older sister Allison to the bus stop. "I heard that we're getting a new student today, Ashley." said Allison at the bus stop.

"Oh really now?" asked Ashley.

"Yep. There were some rumors going around yesterday. Oh hey, the bus is here."

The bus arrived and the 2 sisters got on. Ashley sat beside her sister, of course. Allison was busy chatting with a girl with teal hair that was sitting on the other side. Miku Hatsune. Ashley always thought she was a nice girl. Miku was currently sitting with her boyfriend Kaito Shion. Kaito was eating ice cream on the bus, which was not allowed, because the bus driver doesn't allow food on the bus. She looked around the bus and saw Luka Megurine, a pink haired girl with beautiful blue eyes and Meiko Sakine, a girl with short brown hair and brown eyes, sitting together in front of her and Allison. Ashley always thought Meiko reminded her of her own mother. And Luka was pretty nice, too.

In front of Miku and Kaito there was a short green-haired girl with goggles on her forehead named Gumi Megpoid. Sitting with her was a girl with black hair put up in a weird way named Tianyi Luo from China. Tianyi just moved to America last year. Although she was really shy, Tianyi made friends with Ashley, Allison, and the others.

* * *

The bus arrived at the school about 30 minutes later. Everyone got off. Ashley saw Miku and Kaito holding hands like always. "I swear, Miku and Kaito needs to get married one of these days. They hold hands all the time everytime they get off the bus." said Ashley to her sister.

"I agree." she said. At school, Ashley and her sister were getting things from their lockers.

"Don't you think Neru is married to her phone?" asked Allison as she closed her locker door.

"Not just married. I think they're going to have cell phone babies or something." said Ashley.

"How is that possible?" Allison and Ashley laughed together.

"Were you talking about me?" asked a voice. Ashley and Allison saw a girl with one pigtail, golden eyes, and a cell phone in her hand. Her name was Neru Akita.

"Uh, no. We weren't talking about you. Right, sis?" asked Allison.

"That's right. It's fine, Neru. So, how was your Christmas break?" said Ashley.

"It's alright. This phone is what I actually got for Christmas, since my last one doesn't work anymore. How was your Christmas break?" said Neru.

"Great. Miku and the others came over one day and we just talked about things and open presents and all that jazz. Right, Allison?" asked Ashley.

"Yeah."

"You guys really should bring me over to my house one day. You never do. It's like we're not friends." said Neru.

"Of course we're friends, Neru. How about you come over after school? You know where we live, right?" Neru nodded. "Then there you go."

"Cool. Well, I better get to class. See ya, guys." said Neru as she walked away.

"Ugh, she scares me sometimes."

"Me too." Suddenly, the bell rang. "Crap, we're late!"

* * *

"Well, it's nice that you showed up, ladies. We were just about to introduce the new student." said the teacher. Ashley sat in her desk beside Miku. Allison sat in her desk beside Luka. "Anyway, as you all have heard, there's a new student going to be joining us starting today. So, please give a nice, warm welcome to Rin Kagamine. Come on in, dear. Don't be shy."

"Uh, Mrs. Hursey. I don't see anyone there." said a girl with short brown hair and green eyes named Anon.

"Me neither." said her twin sister Kanon. Kanon had longer brown hair put back in a ponytail.

"Yeah, what's the deal?" asked a red-haired girl named Cul. But Ashley could see a girl with really short blonde hair standing in front of the class. She was wearing a light pink coat with pink sleeves. Under her coat was a light pink dress with a purple pantyhose and yellow and brown shoes with pink and green tips. Her eyes were green. Not like Allison's dark green eyes, but a lighter green shade. She looked shy.

"I can see her." said Ashley. That surprised the class, even the teacher.

"You can? Then how come you can see her, and we can't?" asked Miku.

"I don't know."

"Well, anyways, Rin, you can sit next to Ashley. Ashley, please stand up so that Rin can see where she needs to sit at." said Mrs. Hursey. Ashley began to stand up. The girl, Rin, smiled a light smile at her and began to walk towards her. She sat down on the desk at Ashley's left. Ashley decided to start a conversation with her.

"Hi. I'm Ashley Cox. You are the new girl, right?" asked Ashley. Rin looked at her and just nodded her head.

"You don't talk much, do you? Is it because you're really shy? There's really no need to be. When me and my sister Allison became the new kids about 2 or 3 years ago, I was really shy, too. So, what's your favorite color?"

"Orange." said Rin in a cute, shy voice. Ashley thought her voice was adorable.

"I like orange, too. But my favorite would be either pink or blue. How old are you?"

"I just turned 14 a week ago." said Rin.

"Oh. I'm 16, and my sister is 17. Actually, my sister's birthday was during Christmas break, too." said Ashley.

"That's nice."

"So, where do you live?" asked Ashley.

"I live on the only house in the mountains."

"Ain't that house a log cabin or something?" said Allison, trying to join in on the conversation. But all she can see was an empty chair. Rin nodded once.

"You're not helping." said Ashley.

"Sorry. Carry on." said Allison.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" asked Ashley.

"No. I'm an only child."

"Aw, man. I have 2 sisters. One is Allison, and the other is Amanda. She's not here, she's probably either at home sleeping or at college." said Ashley.

"Hey, do you want to join us for lunch?" asked Allison.

"Again, Allison, not helping. You're scaring her." said Ashley.

"Sorry."

"Actually, that sounds great." said Rin.

"Oh, well, great." said Allison.

"Why can't all the other kids see you? Why can I see you?" asked Ashley.

"I can't answer that. I hope you understand." said Rin.

"No, no. It's fine. I understand completely." said Ashley. The rest of the class was quiet. Ashley would occasionally look at Rin doing her homework. _Why can I see her and the others can't? I'm confused. I probably need to go see a doctor._

* * *

After half of the classes were over, Ashley brought her lunch tray over to the table where she, her sister, and her friends all sit together.

"Hey, Ashley." said Miku.

"Hi, Miku. Kaito. Luka. Meiko. Gumi. Neru. Tianyi. Allison. Everyone else." said Ashley.

"So, where's the new girl at?" asked Gumi.

"Her name is Rin, Gumi. And I bet she's coming right about now." said Ashley. She saw Rin coming towards her.

"There she is now. Hey, Rin. Over here. Come sit beside me." said Ashley. Rin sat beside Ashley.

"I'll introduce you to my friends. This is Allison, my older sister. I'm pretty sure you know that by now. And that's Miku, Kaito, Luka, Gumi, Meiko, Neru, Anon, Kanon, Cul, Lapis, Merli, Tianyi, Mizki, Lily, Haku, and Kokone. Guys, this is Rin." said Ashley.

"How come we can't see her?" asked Lapis.

"I really don't know." said Ashley.

"Again, I can't answer that." said Rin.

"So, let's change the subject, guys. How was your Christmas break?" asked Miku. Everyone else's replies were "Good", "Great", "Okay", and "Boring, I missed school."

"What about you, Rin? How was your Christmas break?" asked Ashley. Rin just looked away and frowned.

"Don't tell me you don't celebrate Christmas?" asked Luka.

"It's not that. I was pretty much sick all through Christmas break." said Rin.

"Oh. Sorry to hear that. Well, you're feeling better now, right? I mean, it's not like it's a cold or anything contagious, right?" said Kaito.

"No, nothing like that." said Rin.

"How old are you?" said Meiko.

"She told me she turned 14 a week ago." said Ashley.

"Your birthday's in December? Mine too!" said Allison.

"And mine. Actually, my birthday was Christmas Eve." said Merli.

"My birthday was 3 days before Christmas." said Cul.

"That's cool. My birthday was 2 days after Christmas." said Rin.

"Hey, we have never been up to the mountains before, right? I mean, Ashley goes there all the time." said Lapis.

"Yeah, I pretty much take a walk up to the mountains sometimes. It's not very far from where me and Allison live. But I never have seen a house before up there." said Ashley.

"That's because my house is farther down. Here, I'll show you." said Rin as she grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. She started to draw something on the paper. Everyone except for Ashley just looked at the paper confused. When she was finished, Rin showed Ashley a picture of the mountains and a little house that resembled a log cabin on the far side and a path.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. There was a little path leading to that house." said Ashley as she showed everyone else the picture.

"Wow. I do say, you have a nice drawing. Ever consider of being an artist?" asked Miku to Rin.

"I actually want to become a singer when I grow up." said Rin.

"Really? Me too! In fact, all of us want to become singers."

"Well, the bell is about to ring soon, so we should be heading out. Is it alright if I keep this, Rin?" asked Ashley as she showed her the picture.

"Sure." said Rin. Ashley put the picture in her pocket and everyone else went to their next class.

* * *

After school, Ashley and Allison rode the bus home. Ashley was staring at the picture that Rin gave her.

"So, where's Rin? Did she get on the bus?" asked Allison.

"No, she told me she's gonna walk home. She told me that she doesn't live far from the school." said Ashley.

"Ah. You've been staring at that picture ever since we got on the bus. Are you going to go see the house?" asked Allison.

"Yeah. You know, just for Rin to get used to the neighborhood." said Ashley.

"Ah." When the bus got to the girls' house, Allison and Ashley got off the bus.

"Hi, girls. How was school?" asked their mom.

"It was fine. We made a new friend. Her name is Rin Kagamine." said Ashley.

"Rin Kagamine, eh?" asked their dad.

"That's right. She was shy at first, but she warmed up to everyone else." said Allison.

"I'm glad that you 2 got to see your friends after about 2 weeks." said Mom.

"Well, you got to remember they came over for Christmas." said Ashley.

"Oh right. How could I forget?" asked Mom.

"Hey, Mom. Is it okay if I go up to the mountains? I'll be back before supper."

"Fine by me." said Dad.

"Just don't hurt yourself. I remember last time when you took a walk over to the mountains." said Mom.

"How could I forget that?" Ashley left the house and stepped outside. It was snowing. Ashley loved the snow. Ashley began to walk towards the mountains.

* * *

When she got to the mountain's edge, Ashley started to see a little house in the distance. "Is that the house Rin lives in?" asked Ashley to herself. She started to walk toward it. When she got to the front door, she knocked on it. There was no answer.

"Rin? Are you in there? It's me, Ashley." said Ashley. She tried knocking again. There was still no answer.

"Hmm. She must be doing errands or something." said Ashley. She looked around. The mountains were beautiful during this time of year. Ashley saw a porch swing and decided to sit down for a little while. Ashley watched as the snow kept falling.

"That reminds me. I probably need to go sledding again. It's been forever." said Ashley. Suddenly she heard a noise. A noise she had never heard before. It sounded like singing. Ashley decided to go investigate. Everytime she took a step, the singing got louder and louder. Ashley got to a little clearing with a few trees. She then saw a tree thicker than the rest. Ashley looked at the tree. It was really tall. Ashley then looked at the source of the singing in the distance. It was a boy, a little younger than Ashley. The boy had short blonde hair put up in a tiny ponytail. Ashley decided to try not to scare him and walked slowly up towards him.

Ashley listened to what he was trying to say. It sounded Japanese. Her friends are all Japanese, except for Tianyi, who was Chinese. Even Allison knew a little bit of Japanese. Ashley doesn't know one thing about Japan or the language. The song itself made Ashley cry a little bit. Ashley wiped a single tear from her eye and continued to walk up to the boy. His voice, Ashley thought, sounded amazing. She thought it was probably better than her friends put together. When the boy stopped singing, he suddenly dropped down on his knees and sobbed in front of the big tree. Ashley took this opportunity to talk to him.

"Hey, um, sir? Are you okay?" asked Ashley as she tapped his shoulder. The boy looked up at her and suddenly jumped back onto his feet. He pressed his back to the tree.

"Who are you?" he asked. He sounded scared. He still had tears in his eyes. Ashley could tell now that he had green eyes exactly like Rin's.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I was walking by and I heard someone singing and I decided to follow the voice. And then I saw you. You have a pretty amazing voice." said Ashley. The boy didn't say anything back. Instead, he looked away.

"So, what was it that you were singing about?" asked Ashley. The boy didn't answer. Tears still flowed from his face. Ashley tried to comfort him.

"Hey, it's okay." said Ashley as she tried to come towards him again.

"Don't get so close to me." said the boy.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." said Ashley as she backed up a bit. Ashley thought over on what the boy could be sad about.

"Do you have any family?" asked Ashley. The boy looked away again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that." said Ashley.

"I lost the only family I had left." said the boy.

"Oh." said Ashley.

"Look, I should be heading back. It was nice meeting you." said the boy as he tried to wipe his tears away, but couldn't. He began to walk away from her.

"Poor boy." Ashley said as she watched him leave. Ashley then looked at the bottom of the tree and saw a tombstone there. There was no writing on it. Ashley felt even more sorry for the boy now. "Maybe this is the reason he was crying? But there's no writing on it." said Ashley. She decided to go back home and tell her family and friends all about what she saw today.


	2. Chapter 2

When Ashley got back, she told her sister Allison about what she saw. The sisters were currently in Allison's room. "Huh. Sounded like he was having depression problems." said Allison.

"You're not helping, Allison. He lost his family." said Ashley.

"Right. Well, I'm going to go downstairs and eat supper." said Allison as she left.

"I should go to Miku's. She'll know what to do." said Ashley. She started to leave the house and go to the one next to her's. She knocked on the door. Miku opened the door.

"Ashley, what is it?" asked Miku.

"Miku, I have a problem. Is it okay if we go to your room and talk?" asked Ashley.

"Sure." said Miku as she opened the door wider to let Ashley in the house. When she got into Miku's bedroom, she sat down on the bed.

"You have something on your mind, don't you?" asked Miku as she sat down beside her.

"Well, I went to the mountains after school and saw the house that Rin's picture had. There was no one there, so I had to sit down and wait. Then I heard a voice. Someone singing. I saw a boy next to this big tree. When he stopped, he started to cry. I didn't know what he was crying about. I tried to comfort him, but he didn't want it. He was scared. I let him leave and saw a tombstone next to the tree." said Ashley. Miku was tapping her chin in thought.

"And that's why I came over. You seem to know a lot about depression and how to cheer people up. Why do you think he was so sad?" asked Ashley.

"Hmm. Maybe someone he cares about is at the hospital, or someone in his family died recently." said Miku.

"Well, he did tell me that he lost his only family. But what's with the tombstone that I saw? There was even no writing on it." said Ashley.

"Probably the writing on that tombstone was worn away over the years. Or maybe it was just covered in snow. Or there was no writing on it in the first place." said Miku.

"What am I supposed to do? I usually don't like when people are sad. How can I cheer him up?" asked Ashley.

"Hmm. There are a lot of ways you can cheer people up. You can buy him a present, just try to be there for him when he needs you most, and give him a friendly hug." said Miku.

"But I don't even know what he likes. I've only known him for like 5 minutes." said Ashley.

"Just between you and me, I think you should stick with the hug." said Miku.

"Well, I'll see what I can do. I'm going to head back up there tonight." said Ashley.

"Good luck. When you're done, tell me what happened." said Miku.

"I will. Thank you, Miku." said Ashley. She then left the house and saw the sun going slowly down.

"I probably should give him a gift, but I don't really know what he likes. Ugh! This is getting really hard for me." said Ashley to herself.

* * *

Ashley decided now is the time to head back up to the mountains to see the boy again. Her mom gave her the okay, and Ashley started her journey. When Ashley got there, she saw the lone house in the distance. She went up towards the house and knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" asked Ashley. She knocked again, but there was still no answer. Ashley tried the doorknob. To her surprise, it was unlocked. Ashley opened the door. Ashley saw a little fireplace, a little kitchen, a piano, and a canvas with a painting of a tree. It looked like the tree she saw earlier.

"Pretty painting." said Ashley to herself. She didn't see the boy anywhere. She saw some stairs. Ashley went up the stairs. She saw a little bed next to a window.

"Nope, not here either." said Ashley. She went down the stairs and sat near the fireplace. Nights were pretty cold during the wintertime. Then, Ashley heard some noises in the kitchen. She decided to go investigate. Ashley peeked out at the doorway and saw the boy from earlier doing dishes. Ashley gave out a little smile and walked towards him.

"Hey, kid." said Ashley, trying to get his attention. The boy turned around and saw her, which scared him to death. His breaths came out in heavy pants.

"It's okay. It's okay." said Ashley, trying to help.

"How did you get in here?" asked the boy.

"The door was unlocked. This is a pretty nice place you got here." said Ashley.

"Thanks."

"So…"

"Why did you come back?" asked the boy.

"Well, I feel sorry for you. And I want to see if I can try to help you." said Ashley.

"There is nothing you can do." said the boy as he went back to doing the dishes. But Ashley stopped him from doing so. She looked deep into his eyes.

"I don't like it when someone is sad. It breaks my heart. Just tell me, what is the source of your depression?" asked Ashley.

"You really want to know?" he asked. Ashley nodded. "Just wait in the living room and I'll be done with these dishes in a few minutes." Ashley left the kitchen to sit by the fireplace. The fire was pretty warm.

* * *

A few minutes later, the boy stood by the doorway. Ashley looked up at him and gave him a smile. But he didn't smile back. "Follow me." said the boy as he went upstairs. Ashley followed him. When they got to the boy's bedroom, he was trying to find something.

"Can I help look?" asked Ashley politely. The boy shook his head no.

"Stay here." he said. He then went back downstairs. Ashley sat down on the bed. It was a small bed, probably fitting only one person. There was a window next to the bed. Ashley looked outside. The snow that was falling earlier was turning into a storm. Suddenly, the boy returned with something in his hand.

"What is that?" Ashley asked. The boy handed it to her. Ashley looked at it. It was a picture of 2 kids. One of the kids was a boy, the other was a girl. They both looked happy in the photo. Ashley looked at the boy again. He looked like he was about to cry. She looked back at the photo.

"Wait a minute." said Ashley. _The girl looks like Rin! But that can't be._ Ashley gave the photo back to the boy. "Thanks for showing me this. It's a pretty photo. It's funny, the girl in there looks like someone from my school." said Ashley.

"You know her?" asked the boy, trying to wipe his tears away.

"Yeah. She's new to my school. How do you know her? Are you two related?"

"Yes. She's my twin sister."

"What?" _Rin said back at school she didn't have any brothers or sisters. Did she lie to me?_

"But that's impossible. There was no way you're her twin brother. She told me so herself."

"It's the truth." said the boy.

"Is she here now? Can I talk to her?" asked Ashley.

"There's no way you can see her." said the boy.

"Of course I can. I'm friends with her. Why won't you let me see her?"

"She's gone."

"I can wait for her to come back."

"You don't understand."

"What won't I understand? Rin's my friend. Why won't you let me see her?" Ashley said again. The boy avoided her gaze. "Just tell me, dang it!" she said angrily.

"She's dead!" said the boy. Ashley was taken aback by his reaction. Tears started to flow from his eyes. "She's dead! She died in my arms! There was nothing I could do! She's dead, and it's my entire fault!" said the boy. Then he had a breakdown in front of Ashley.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." said Ashley. She went closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. The boy flinched, but let her embrace him.

"I'm so sorry." said Ashley again. The boy cried on her shoulder. Ashley softly patted him on the back and stroked his soft blonde hair. Ashley breathed in his scent. It smelled like bananas. "It's alright. It's going to be okay." she keeps saying. _Is this what comforting a person feels like?_

A few minutes later, the boy stopped crying and fell asleep with his head on her chest. Ashley carefully lifted him off the floor and into his bed. Ashley realized that he was really light. She then tucked him in and said goodnight. Then she started to head back to Miku's house.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Miku.

"He's still in depression mode right now. I think I should leave him alone for the rest of the night." said Ashley.

"What happened?"

"Rin was lying to me, that's what! The boy I was with is actually her twin brother. And… Rin's dead." said Ashley.

"Wait, dead? That's what she was trying to keep from us? Why would she lie?" asked Miku.

"I don't know. But tomorrow, I'm going to find out. Well, see you tomorrow, Miku." said Ashley as she left.

* * *

The next morning, Ashley woke up and got ready for the school day ahead. "Good morning, Ashley." said Allison. Ashley just greeted her with a "hi".

"Geez, someone probably woke up on the other side of the bed, am I right? There's no need to be mad at me." asked Allison.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Rin Kagamine." said Ashley.

"The new girl? Why?" asked Allison.

"She's been lying to my face, that's why. I went up to the mountains again last night. I saw the boy and he told me everything."

"What did he tell you?" asked Allison.

"I'll tell you and everyone else when we're at school."

"Alright." The girls got on the bus. They were silent during the ride to school. When the girls got to homeroom, Ashley saw Rin smiling at her. She put on a fake smile and sat down beside her.

"Good morning, Ashley." said Rin.

"Don't 'Good Morning, Ashley' me, Rin." said Ashley.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"

"Because you lied to my face!" said Ashley. Everyone in the class looked at her, even Mrs. Hursey.

"Why would I lie to you?" said Rin.

"You lied to me twice. You said yesterday that you didn't have any brothers or sisters. I actually went up to see your twin brother last night. And he told me the truth. And the other lie was you that you're still alive. That's why everyone else couldn't see you. Because you're dead!" Everyone gasped.

"Ashley Cox. You don't talk that way to a new student." said Mrs. Hursey.

"No, she's right. I have something to tell you all." Rin went up to the front of the classroom. "I really am dead. And I really do have a twin brother. He's alive and well." said Rin. Everyone gasped again.

"How long have you been dead?" asked Cul.

"A week and a half ago. I died 2 days before Christmas." said Rin.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Ms. Kagamine. Where's your brother? Why isn't he here at school?" said Mrs. Hursey.

"It's because of my death. He was skipping school because of my death." said Rin.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know he was skipping school because of you." said Mrs. Hursey.

"You have no reason to feel sorry, Mrs. Hursey. It's my brother who needs all the comfort he can get. Without me, he's nothing. He's alone and scared. Ashley is the only one who has seen my brother. He lives up in the only house on the mountains."

"Oh, I go there sometimes, Ms. Kagamine. I'll be sure to give him a visit sometime. Now can we please continue on with the lesson?" said Mrs. Hursey.

"Yes. Sorry for wasting your time." said Rin. She went back to her seat.

"Hey, about earlier. I'm sorry." said Ashley.

"It's alright. I should've told you the truth all along." said Rin.

"So, if you're dead, why are you not in the afterlife?"

"I'm still here on Earth because I don't feel like my brother is protected. He needs friends. Someone to be there for him." said Rin.

"Why doesn't he have friends?"

"Because he often gets bullied by the older kids back in my old school." said Rin.

"It's okay. We don't have any of those bullies here in this school. He'll feel totally safe." said Allison.

"I'll do my best to make him happy again. What do I have to do? What things does he like?" asked Ashley.

"Well, he loves bananas. That's a start." said Rin.

"Okay. Bananas. Anything else?"

"He likes amusement parks. Is there one in town now?"

"Unfortunately, no." said Miku.

"That's a shame. Ashley, are you going to see my brother after school?"

"I'll try." said Ashley.

"Okay, then. He needs some happiness after I... you know." said Rin.

"Right. I get you." said Ashley.

* * *

After school that day, Ashley went back to her house to ask her mother if she can go the mountains again.

"Why do you want to go back to the mountains again?" she asked.

"It's really important. I'm doing this for a friend." said Ashley.

"You mean the new girl?" asked Mom.

"How do you know?"

"Dad did some research last night. It sounds like you're talking to a ghost. She has no family, except for her twin brother." said Mom.

"Okay, I knew that much. Did Dad find a name for Rin's brother?" said Ashley.

"Unfortunately, he fell asleep before he got to that." said Mom.

"Oh. Thanks Mom. Well, I'll be heading off. I'll see you before supper." Ashley said as she left.

* * *

When Ashley got to the boy's house, Ashley saw a note on the door. "Out." it said. Ashley looked at the clearing where she and the boy first met. She could even see him in the distance. He was singing the same song again. Ashley went over to him quietly so that she wouldn't disturb him. When he was finished, he turned around and saw Ashley.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you again. Is that a problem?" asked Ashley.

"Actually, yes, It is. I want to be alone for a while." said the boy as he left her. Ashley decided to follow him back to the house.

"Why do you want to be alone?" asked Ashley.

"Can't you see I've been in depression for a week and a half now?" asked the boy.

"I'm sorry. You've been sad for a long time, ever since Rin died. But I got an idea on how to make you feel better." said Ashley.

"How are you going to do that? Nothing will make me feel better. Not after what happened." said the boy.

"Actually, Rin told me you love bananas. Is that true?" asked Ashley.

"It's true. Bananas are my favorite food." said the boy.

"You know, you should really think about going back to school." said Ashley.

"Why?"

"Everyone misses you."

"They don't really miss me. Everybody bullies me because they think I'm a girl or because I'm weak." said the boy.

"You don't have any friends at all?" He shook his head.

"It's okay. I'm going to be your first friend ever. I'll be the best friend you'll ever have." said Ashley.

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course. Everyone knows that I am good at making friends." Ashley then gave him a light hug. He flinched at first, but then relaxed. They stayed like this for a while. Then Ashley felt him shiver. "You must be cold. Let's go by the fire." said Ashley. The boy nodded.

* * *

While they were relaxing at the fire, they were also eating supper. "Is this is the only heat you have at your house?" asked Ashley. The boy nodded sadly. He had his head on her shoulder the entire time.

"Are you afraid of losing someone you love?" asked the boy.

"I am." said Ashley. She watched the fire as the flames danced around the fireplace.

"I get cold sometimes, so I sleep down here by the _fire_." said the boy.

"I have a warm bed. I never get too hot or too cold." said Ashley. "Hey, is it okay if I do the dishes tonight?" She then heard light snoring coming from the boy. He was asleep. "I'll take that as a yes." Ashley slowly got up, careful not to wake him. She took the dishes to the kitchen and washed them clean. After she was done, she went back to check on the boy. She saw him breathing heavily and slightly wheezing. Ashley's eyes widened.

"He's probably having an asthma attack in his sleep." said Ashley. She quickly went over to him and told him to breathe normally. Ashley saw something that looked like the boy's inhaler on the table. She picked it up and gave it to him. It helped him breathe. The wheezing stopped. He opened his eyes and saw Ashley with a worried look in her eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"You had an asthma attack in your sleep. Does that happen often?" asked Ashley.

"By often you mean everyday, then yes." said the boy. He put the inhaler back on the table. Ashley felt sorry for him.

"I didn't know about that. Rin never told me." said Ashley.

"Well, now you know." said the boy. He looked out the window. The sun was going down quickly.

"It's getting late. We should head to bed." said the boy.

"I should probably head back to my parents. They're probably wondering why I've been gone so long." said Ashley.

"It's dangerous out there. Why don't you stay the night here?" asked the boy.

"Are you sure? I won't bother you at all, will I?" asked Ashley.

"No, of course not." said the boy. He started to head upstairs. Ashley followed him.

"You can take Rin's room." said the boy.

"Thank you for letting me stay here for the night." said Ashley.

"No problem. Good night." said the boy as he went in his room and closed the door. Ashley looked around Rin's room. It was a pretty decent room. Ashley went over to bed and instantly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Ashley woke up. She stood up on her bed, kind of forgetting where she was. "Oh, I forgot. Rin's brother invited me to sleep over because there was a storm outside last night." Ashley looked out the window.

"Well, at least the storm's gone. And it's a Saturday morning. So that means no school." Ashley got out of bed and went into Rin's brother's room. It was empty.

"Where is he?" asked Ashley. She decided to look around the room. She saw something interested on the bedside table. A gold locket. Ashley picked it up and opened it. It was a picture of Rin. She closed it and looked at the back of the locket. 3 letters were engraved in it.

"L-E-N? What the heck? Wait a minute, maybe L-E-N is the kid's name. Now that I think about it, I never really asked him his name." She put the locket back on the bedside table and went downstairs. She saw the fire still on and the blonde boy sleeping by it. Ashley smiled to herself. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Ashley looked at the boy to see if he was sleeping through all the noise. He was, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door. It was Miku.

"Miku? What are you doing here?" asked Ashley.

"Your parents called me last night, wondering where you were. They were worried sick about you." said Miku.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Well, there was a snow storm and the kid invited me to sleep over for the night." said Ashley.

"Can I come in? It's getting kinda chilly out here." asked Miku.

"Sure." said Ashley as she opened the door wider. Miku saw the boy still sleeping by the fireplace.

"Is this him?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. He and Rin look so much alike. I guess that's why they're twins."

"Do you think we should probably wake him up?" asked Ashley.

"Yeah. Do it." said Miku. Ashley gently shook the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, wake up." said Ashley. The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw Ashley and a girl he was not familiar with.

"Good morning. Who are you?" asked the boy.

"I'm Miku Hatsune. Ashley's friend. Nice to meet you..." said Miku, implying for a name.

"Len. Len Kagamine." said Len. He and Miku shook hands.

"So Len is your name!" said Ashley.

"What are you talking about?" said Miku.

"I went up to your room and saw the locket with Rin's picture on it. On the back were the letters L-E-N." said Ashley.

"You saw my locket? Where is it? Is it still upstairs?" asked Len.

"Yeah. Beside your bed." Len went upstairs and came back down a few moments later. But now he was wearing the locket around his neck.

"That's a pretty locket." said Miku.

"Thank you. It's all I have left of Rin. I couldn't find it for a few days." said Len.

"Wow." said Miku.

"You never told me your name, by the way." said Len to Ashley.

"Oh, I'm Ashley. Ashley Cox." said Ashley.

"So, anyway, why are you here again, Miku?" asked Len.

"I came here to tell Ashley that her parents were worried that she never came home last night." said Miku.

"Well, I should head home now. I'll come again soon." said Ashley.

"Bring your friend. She's good company." said Len.

"I will. Thanks, Len. Come on, Miku." said Ashley. Miku waved goodbye to Len and the 2 girls left the house.

* * *

Ashley got home and told her parents that she was at Len's house for the night.

"Well, next time, call us when you can't make it back home so that we don't worry too much." said Mom.

"I will. Sorry." said Ashley.

"It was a good thing I found her safe and sound." said Miku.

"And we thank you for that, Miku." said Dad.

"Well, I better get home myself. I have to get ready." said Miku.

"Ready for what?" asked Ashley.

"Don't you remember? We're supposed to being hanging out and having a sleepover like we always do the weekend after Christmas break. It's supposed to be a tradition." said Miku.

"Oh, that hangout." said Ashley.

"Yeah. But the problem is, we don't have a place where we can hang out. We have already seen everyone else's houses." said Miku.

"How about we do it at Len's place?" said Ashley.

"Sounds great. Everyone knows where he lives. I'll call everyone else and tell them to meet up at the mountains. Well, I better get home." said Miku.

"Bye, Miku." said Ashley as Miku left.

"Can I go up to the mountains again? I need to tell Len about this." said Ashley.

"Sure, honey." said Mom. Ashley left and went back to the mountains.

* * *

When Ashley got there, she knocked on the door to Len's house. Len answered it.

"Back so soon?" he asked.

"Yeah. Listen, me and my friends have this hangout thing every year after the first week back to school. Miku and I decided to have the sleepover and other things at your house." said Ashley.

"My house?"

"Yeah. Everyone knows where you live now. So, will that be okay with you if we have our party here?"

"I guess so."

"Thank you, Len. You can join in. We're just having a sleepover and having some fun outside and other stuff like that. It'll be fun."

"I'm afraid I don't have many places to sleep though." said Len.

"That's okay. The fireplace will be perfect."

"So, when's everybody going to come? And how many people are coming?"

"They get here when they get here. And not that many people." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Len answered it and saw Miku and everybody else.

"Hello again, Miku." said Len as he opened the door wider. Everyone came in.

"So glad you guys can make it." said Ashley.

"I guess introductions are in order. Len, these are my friends Cul, Anon, Kanon, Haku, Neru, Luka, Tianyi, Kokone, Meiko, Gumi, Kaito, Lapis, Mizki, Merli, and Lily. Guys, this is Len Kagamine, Rin's twin brother." said Ashley.

"Nice to meet all of you." said Len as he shook hands with everybody.

"So, what are we going to do first?" asked Gumi.

"Snowball fight!" said Anon and Kanon at the same time. Everyone else agreed to that.

"Snowball fight?" asked Len.

"Yeah, we go in teams and see who is left standing. It's a lot of fun." said Ashley.

"Doesn't that sound dangerous?"

"It is kinda dangerous. But it's fun. Let's go outside and make our teams and forts." said Miku. Everyone went outside.

"Okay. Meiko, Luka, Tianyi, Neru, Lily, Merli, Anon, Kokone, and Mizki are on one team. Kaito, Gumi, Kanon, Len, Miku, Lapis, Haku, Ashley, and Cul are on the other team." Everyone went on opposites sides.

"Teams, make your forts. Prepare for battle." said Ashley.


	4. Chapter 4

After the snowball fight, everyone was talking about who won. They were now having hot chocolate made by Len. "We so won that." said Mizki.

"Alright, alright. You won. End of story." said Gumi.

"I wanted a rematch, though."

"Hey, Len. What recipe do you use for this hot chocolate?" asked Ashley.

"I made it myself." said Len.

"You did? Wow. This is yummy." said Miku.

"Arigato, Miku." said Len.

"Dōitashimashite."

"And I like your outfit. It's pretty." said Anon. Now that she thought about it, Ashley never really looked at Len's outfit. He was wearing a black shirt with a yellow tie around his neck, along with his locket with Rin's picture with it, and a white coat not fit for the winter weather. He was wearing blue shorts and white boots.

"She's right. You look good." said Ashley.

"Arigato." said Len when looking away. Ashley could tell he was slightly blushing.

"Hey, can you make me some more?" asked Kaito as he handed out his cup.

"Sure. I'll be right back." said Len as he took Kaito's cup and went to the kitchen.

"You know, I've never seen Rin since yesterday at school. I wonder where she is?" asked Kanon.

"Errands, maybe?" asked Anon. Her twin sister shrugged.

"She probably always does errands." said Haku.

"Well, we better get our sleeping bags set up and get ready to play some board games." said Tianyi.

"What games did you bring?" asked Lily.

"I brought Twister." said Meiko.

"Sounds like fun. We should play that." said Neru.

"Alright. Let's get our sleeping bags put up." said Anon as she got up and went to get her sleeping bag. Kanon followed her.

"Here's your hot chocolate, Kaito." said Len as he came back with a cup of hot chocolate.

"Thanks." said Kaito.

"Len, do you want to play Twister with us?" asked Ashley.

"What's that?" asked Len.

"Seriously? You don't know what that is?" asked Haku. Len shook his head.

"Well, we'll teach you how to play." said Miku.

* * *

After everyone was done with their hot chocolate, everyone was now playing Twister. Ashley has the spinner in her hand while Miku and Kaito were on the floor in weird positions. Ashley spun the spinner.

"Right foot, blue." said Ashley. Miku tried to reach her foot over to a certain spot, but Kaito beat her to it.

"You took my spot." said Miku.

"Take another spot." said Kaito. Miku glared at him and tried to get her foot to another blue spot, but she fell.

"Ooh, Kaito won." said Merli. The 2 of them got up.

"Okay, Ashley versus Len now." said Haku. Everyone agreed.

"Alright. Come on, Len. You know how to play the game now?" asked Ashley. Len nodded. Ashley handed the spinner to Miku and stood on the right side of the Twister mat. Len stood on the other side.

"What's our first spot, Miku?" asked Ashley. Miku spun the spinner.

"Left hand, red." Ashley put her hand on a red circle, though it was hard to reach for her. Len had no trouble. Miku spun again.

"Right hand, green."

"Are you kidding me?" asked Ashley to herself as she tried to reach a green spot with her right hand. She succeeded. She looked at her opponent. Len had no trouble reaching a green spot.

"You're getting good at this, Len. Okay, next spot, Miku." said Ashley. Miku spun again.

"Right foot, green." Ashley got her right foot on a green spot, but not in the spot where her right hand was in. She looked at Len, who seemed to be having trouble. Finally, he reached his foot over to one of the 6 green spots. Ashley giggled. Len was about to do the splits. And he looked calm. Miku spun again.

"Right hand, blue." That was no trouble for the both of them.

* * *

After about 10 minutes, Ashley had her right hand on green, her left hand on yellow, her right foot on red, and her left foot on yellow. Len had his right foot on red, his left foot on blue, and both of his hands on green.

"Wow. It has been 15 minutes, and you're still going for it." said Kanon.

"I don't give up easily, Kanon." said Ashley. Miku spun the spinner.

"Right hand, red." she said. Ashley had no trouble. However, Len was having difficulty. Len's right hand was on green previously, and red is on the other side of the mat. He started to reach for it with his right hand. but suddenly, his stomach started to curl up in knots. His right hand reached for his stomach.

"Len? Are you alright?" asked Ashley.

"Yeah. I'm fine." said Len. However, he did not look fine. The burning in his stomach was getting worse. His breathing was faster than before. He tried to reach for the red circle with his right hand again, but he moaned in pain and clutched his stomach again. He tried one more time once the pain in his stomach started to subside to reach for that red circle he was aiming for. But suddenly, the burning came back and it was unbearable. Len collapsed on top of Ashley.

"Len fell. Ashley won." said Miku.

"Wait, Miku. Len doesn't look too good." said Meiko. Ashley looked at her friend, who was still unconscious.

"Len? Len, are you okay?" asked Ashley. She checked for a pulse. There was one, but it was faint.

"Ashley, did you kill him?" asked Tianyi.

"No, he's still breathing, but he's breathing pretty hard. Someone get his inhaler over there." said Ashley.

"I'll get it." said Luka as she got up and got Len's inhaler. She gave it to Ashley, who put it in Len's mouth. Len's breathing went back to normal, but he was still unconscious.

"I think we should stop Twister and play something else." said Neru. Everyone agreed. Suddenly, Len woke up.

"Feeling better?" asked Ashley. Len nodded.

"What happened during the game?"

"It's nothing. Probably the hot chocolate or something I ate earlier. It's gone now." said Len.

"If you're sure." said Ashley. Len nodded.

"So, what game do you guys want to play next?" asked Kokone.

* * *

After a few hours, everyone ate supper and went to bed upstairs. Ashley was not asleep, though. She was currently looking at the fireplace. She was more worried about Len. Suddenly, the fireplace started to go out of control. Ashley gasped and quickly went upstairs to wake up her friends.

"Guys! Wake up! The fireplace is going nuts." said Ashley. Everyone groaned but got out of bed.

"What time is it?" asked Haku.

"Almost midnight." said Neru after she looked at her cell phone. Everyone followed Ashley downstairs and they saw the living room engulfed by flames in a matter of seconds.

"We have to get out of here." said Kaito. Everyone managed to get out before the fire got to them.

"Is everyone here?" asked Ashley.

"Well, let's see. I'm here, Kaito's here, Anon, Kanon, Kokone, Mizki, Lily, Merli, Lapis, Tianyi, Haku, Neru, Luka, Meiko, Cul, Gumi, Allison, and you're here. Yep, I think that's everybody." said Miku.

"But wait a minute. What about Len?" asked Luka. Everyone looked back at the house. The entire house was now in flames.

"He must still be in there." said Kokone.

"I'm going back." said Ashley.

"No! It's too dangerous." said Miku.

"I have to, Miku. He's my friend." said Ashley.

"He's our friend, too."

"Yeah, but I've known him longer than any of you. I'm going in there."

"All in favor of Ashley going back in the house to save Len." said Tianyi. Everyone raised their hand, except for Miku.

"Miku, please." said Ashley. Miku still looked unsure, but slowly raised her hand as well and nodded. Ashley smiled at her neighbor.

"Neru, call 911." Ashley then went back in the house.

* * *

"Len! Where are you?!" asked Ashley. But her voice was lost in the flames. She looked upstairs, but there was no sign of him there.

"Where is he?" asked Ashley in her head. Suddenly, Rin appeared.

"Rin? What are you doing here?" asked Ashley.

"My brother's in trouble. Follow me." said Rin as she disappeared.

"Rin! Where are you?" asked Ashley. Suddenly, she heard some faint coughing. Ashley followed the source. She found Len, covered in debris.

"Len!" said Ashley as she ran over to him and tried to wake him up. But he wasn't.

"Quick, help me out." said Rin as she tried to lift the debris off of her brother. Ashley helped her out. The debris was heavy.

"Look out!" said Rin as she pushed Ashley. More pieces from the roof fell to the floor. Suddenly, Len woke up.

"Ashley!" he shouted.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of there." said Ashley as she tried to lift the debris up again with Rin's help. Even Len helped. Finally, the debris was off of Len.

"Come on. We're getting out of here." said Ashley. Len nodded. The 2 of them got out of the burned bedroom. But before Ashley got out, she saw Len's locket on the floor. Ashley grabbed it and left.

"Wait, stop!" said Ashley as she put a hand in front of Len to stop him. There was a gigantic gap to where the stairs were.

"We're going to have to jump." said Ashley.

"Are you crazy?" shouted Len. Ashley looked down below. It was a long way down.

"I'll go first." said Ashley. She looked at the gap and the other side. It was a long jump. Ashley inhaled and exhaled again. Suddenly, she leaped.

"Ashley!" Len cried out. But Ashley made it with only one little stumble. Ashley coughed.

"I'm fine! Your turn!" said Ashley from the other side. Len looked at the gap. It was getting wider because of the fire.

"I... I can't. I can't jump that far. You go on without me." said Len.

"Stop talking nonsense and try!" said Ashley.

"I can't make that." said Len.

"Yes, you can. Just try. I'll catch you." Len looked at the gap again. He inhaled and exhaled. He caught a little smoke from the flames and coughed. Suddenly, he made a leap for it. That left him dangling on the edge.

"Help me up!" said Len. Ashley rushed over to her friend and tried to pull him up. She succeeded. Len was pretty light.

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Ashley. The 2 of them were now trying to find the exit.

"Where's the exit?" asked Ashley to Len. Len was now a coughing mess and wouldn't stop.

"Come on, guys! It's this way!" said Rin as she pointed to the left of them. The exit was also blocked by flames.

"We're almost there. Come on, Len. We can make it." said Ashley. But Len didn't have the energy. He suddenly collapsed on his knees and then he laid down on the floor.

"Go without me." said Len before he started to cough.

"I'm not leaving you! Come on, Len." said Ashley. But Len shook his head and coughed some more. Ashley went back over to Len and went under his arm.

"Len. I never told you in front of everyone else, because I was too embarrassed to say it, but I love you." said Ashley. Len was surprised.

"You love me?" he asked in a raspy voice. Ashley nodded.

"I love you, too." said Len.

"We might not survive this. But, just in case." said Ashley. Suddenly, she kissed on the lips. Len was surprised by this action. He gasped in the kiss. But after a few seconds, his eyes closed and he kissed back. Rin smiled at her brother and her friend. After a few minutes, Ashley broke the kiss and felt Len go limp. Ashley also closed her eyes. Suddenly, Rin heard noises.

"That must be the firefighters. Arigato, Neru." said Rin. She disappeared, leaving the firefighters to do their job.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ashley was just waking up. She had burns all over her face. And she could hardly move.

"Hey, you're awake." said Allison. Ashley saw Allison, her oldest sister Amanda, and her parents in the same room with her.

"Allison? What happened?"

"Well, Neru called the fire department. They came to help you and your boyfriend out of the house. The house was completely destroyed." said Allison.

"He's not my boyfriend!" said Ashley.

"Ashley, don't yell at your sister. You need to save your energy." said Mom.

"Where's Len?"

"He's in a different room with everyone else. He's in more bad shape than you are." said Amanda. Suddenly, Miku came in the room.

"Ashley, you woke up. I thought you were dead." Miku went over to hug Ashley lightly.

"How's Len doing?" asked Ashley. Miku frowned and shook her head.

"He's dead?!"

"I didn't say that. Len is, however, in a coma. I was surprised that you weren't." said Miku.

"The doctor said that you need to stay here overnight. He doesn't want you to strain yourself." said Allison to her sister.

"I just want to see Len. I just want to see if he's alright." said Ashley.

"We'll come back tomorrow. Try to get some rest, Ashley. Miku and Allison will watch you." said Dad. He, Mom, and Amanda left the room, leaving Ashley, Miku, and Allison alone.

"We better take you to Len's room. That is, if you have the strength." said Allison.

"Of course I do. I don't go down that easily." said Ashley as she slowly started to stand up, with Miku's help.

"Take it easy, Ashley." said Miku.

* * *

Miku and Allison helped Ashley walk over to Len's room. When they got there, Ashley saw Len sleeping in the bed with an IV hooked up to him. Rin was beside him, looking concerned.

"Where did everyone else go?" asked Ashley to Miku.

"They went home, I guess." said Miku. She and Allison helped Ashley over to where Rin was sitting.

"How's he doing?" asked Ashley.

"The doctor said that he's in a coma. He might never wake up. But I didn't believe him." said Rin.

"Well, me and Allison better get home. Take care of yourself. And try to get some rest." said Miku.

"I will." said Ashley. Miku and Allison left the room, leaving Rin, Ashley, and Len alone.

"You don't have a problem with our relationship?" asked Ashley to Rin.

"Of course not." she replied. Ashley slowly started to stand up and lay down next to Len. Or, on top of him, in her case.

"I want you to be okay, Len. Just tell me that you'll be fine." said Ashley to him. She gently stroked his cheek. Rin smiled at the 2 of them.

"Wait a minute. Can Len see you?" asked Ashley. Rin sadly shook her head. Ashley felt Len's neck for the locket. But it was gone. It must've been lost in the fire along with everything else. Ashley slowly to close her eyes and fell asleep. But suddenly, she felt Len's hand move. Ashley gasped. She heard a soft moan coming from below her. Len was starting to wake up. He was startled to see Ashley on top of him.

"Ashley?" asked Len. But his voice came out raspy.

"I'm so glad that you're okay now." said Ashley.

"I'm glad that you are, too." Ashley gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"So, what happened to the house?"

"Oh, it was completely burned down. Everything was destroyed." said Ashley. Len then suddenly felt his neck for his necklace.

"What is it?" asked Ashley.

"My locket. It's gone." Len said.

"Oh, you mean this locket?" asked Ashley as she held up his locket. Len gasped.

"You saved it." said Len. Ashley nodded and lifted Len's head up a little so that she can put it around his neck.

"You found his locket." said Rin.

"Yeah, I did." said Ashley.

"Ashley, who are you talking to?" asked Len. Ashley forgot that Len can't see his sister.

"I'm talking to Rin." said Ashley. Len gasped.

"Rin's here? In this room?" asked Len.

"Yeah. I'm here, Len. But you just can't see me. Ashley, ask me something. Do you really love my brother? Will you stand by his side forever?" said Rin.

"Yes. I love your brother." said Ashley.

"Then, I wish the both of you luck in the future. Tell him this. He needs to go back to school one of these days. Tell him that he doesn't need to be depressed over me anymore. Tell him that he's got you, he's got new friends, and soon he'll have a new family." said Rin.

"Len, Rin says that you have to go back to school and that she doesn't want you to be depressed over her anymore. You need to move on. You got me, you've got new friends. And you're going to have a new family." said Ashley.

"Wait a minute. I can see her now." said Len as he looked at Rin, who was sitting in the chair beside his bed.

"Rin? It really is you, right?" asked Len.

"Yes, it's me, my Ciel." said Rin.

"Ciel?" asked Ashley.

"One of my many nicknames for Len. It's French for heaven or sky. He calls me Soleil, which is French for sun." said Rin.

"That's a cool nickname." said Ashley.

"Well, I have to get going now." said Rin.

"Where are you going?" asked Len.

"God is calling for me to come back to the afterlife."

"But I want you to stay here."

"Ciel, I'll always be with you. In here." said Rin as she lightly put a hand over Len's chest. Suddenly, Rin saw some light.

"Well, I better be going. Tell Mrs. Hursey that I won't be coming back to school, Ashley." said Rin.

"I will. Thanks for everything, Rin." said Ashley.

"It's really no big deal. Take care of him. He needs you." Suddenly, Rin walked over to the light. Rin looked back and smiled at Ashley and Len. Ashley was waving goodbye. Rin also waved goodbye. She walked further into the light and was gone. The light also disappeared.

"Is she gone?" asked Len. Ashley sadly nodded. Len started to cry on her shoulder. Ashley gently stroked his hair in silence. He cried on her until he fell asleep. Ashley smiled at the sight below her and she fell asleep as well.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, Ashley was back in school. Her classmates missed her and even asked her where she had been the whole time. "May I have your attention, please?" asked Mrs. Hursey. Everyone looked at her.

"As you know or may not know, Rin Kagamine is no longer here with us. Ashley told me she went to the afterlife a few days ago. Is that right?" asked Mrs. Hursey. Ashley nodded, looking at the seat to the left of her. It was now empty. She can't even see Rin anymore.

"But now we have another new student to take Rin's place. I'm sure some of you know him. He's coming back to school. So, come on in." said Mrs. Hursey. Ashley saw Len come in the classroom.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" asked Mrs. Hursey.

"My name is Len Kagamine, younger brother of Rin Kagamine." said Len.

"Len, why don't you go sit next to Ashley?" said Mrs. Hursey. Len walked over to Ashley's seat on her left and sat down.

"Welcome back, Len." said Ashley.

"It's good to be back." said Len.

* * *

After school, Ashley walked over to tell her parents that they're having a new member in the family. "Oh. Well, is it that Kagamine kid?" asked Mom. Ashley nodded.

"He has no place to stay after the fire a few days ago." said Ashley.

"He's welcome to live here. Is he gathering his things?" said Dad. Ashley nodded, then turned to her 2 older sisters.

"Allison, Amanda, you guys are getting a new brother." said Ashley.

"Oh joy." said Allison. Ashley went over to what was left of Len's house. She saw him by the grave of his dead sister. Ashley walked over to him.

"Still miss her, huh?" asked Ashley. Len turned around and saw Ashley.

"Yeah. I wish that she was still here with me to see this." said Len.

"What, the remains of the house or you as my new brother?"

"Everything." Tears started to go to his eyes. Ashley hugged him close.

"Come on. My mom and dad want to meet you." said Ashley. Len nodded and together they walked back, hand-in-hand. But suddenly, Len stopped and held his chest.

"Len, what is it?" asked Ashley. Len took out his locket that his sister got for him. It was glowing.

"Rin is still with you. You just can't see her. But she can see you." said Ashley as she grasped the hand that was holding the locket. Len looked at her and Ashley lightly kissed him on the lips.

"Come on. It's almost suppertime." said Ashley. The 2 of them continued to walk back to their house.


End file.
